A place where beginners can participate, ask questions, and post their views. However, beginners typically ask a lot of questions about sources, tricks, books, and so on. In fact, all magicians are interested (or should be) in the provenance of tricks, ideas, and related matters. This department will service these needs.

I hope this is the proper heading to post this subject.Several years ago (more than I care to remember), I read the Curry Turnover Change in "Close-Up Card Magic", page 215. Many years later I reread the move in "Worlds Beyond" page 3.I'll be blasted if I can't seem to get the hang of doing Curry's move despite many hours of practice. Maybe somethings were not meant to be for this student. Can someone direct me towards a suitable move which will accomplish the same basic appearance?Many thanks in advance.

The Turnover Change is extremely deceptive and once you get the hang of it is probably one of the easier alternatives, although perhaps others may disagree. Other alternatives that come to mind are the top (or bottom) change, the turnover thingy where you use another card to flip the one on the table and make the switch (whatever was that called), and other sneaky measures you might use like dealing a second, pocket change, etc. etc. None of these are easy to do well. I would suggest you not be in a hurry, and stick with the curry (move that is).

There are several ways of changing a tabled card, however I assume you want to change a tabled card with one hand while the other is doing something else (like turning over another tabled card a la the classic misdirection for the Curry change). Two thoughts immediately come to mind: Marlo's "Breakless Curry Change" (Hierophant #7; Jon Racherbaumer Editor, 1975), which two people I know of say is easier, or it's possible that Jon Racherbaumer's "One Handed Mechanical Change" (CardMagic; Richard Kaufman, 1979) might work for you. Note that this move has the principal cards still on the deck, but it could accomplish what you want. The card to be switched in is on top; the next two are the known cards. DL the first two into position for the move. The RH takes the next card down (it's retrievable under the outjogged double), displays and then tables it while the left performs the change (apparently tabling the other card) simultaneously. That's all I can think of at this late hour.

Good luck!Dustin

PS: I know of no other sources for these moves, but that does not mean they do not exist.

Dustin, it looks like you drifted off to sleep in the middle of your PS!

I find it interesting that anyone has found Marlo's Breakless Curry Change easier to do than the standard Curry. I can't get the hang of the Breakless at all and think this may be one case where size matters, handwise. (My hands are puny little affairs.) The standard Curry, for me, is a snap.

You might want to look at the larry jennings video 'Super Paris Sessions' for a handling touch by jennings that makes the move a lot easier. It did for me anyway. This can also be found in the book "The Cardwright" but I think the videos are more easily obtained.

Having said that, I'm not a big fan of the move. It's a bit of a clunky thing to me.

Hi, Jamie! I knew you'd chime in, in short order. I fully agree that the knack is worth acquiring if possible. The breakless Curry requires much less get-ready than the standard Curry. And the knack paves the way for your killer move.

Also check out "Heart of the City" in John Bannon's book "Smoke and Mirrors" It describes and uses a tabled switch based on a previously unpublished marlo move that John calls "the Marlo Switch" that is very deceptive. It's one of my favorites, and I often use this trick as a closer.

It might have been Vernon who said that there were only a small handful of magicians who can flawlessly do a french glide. I think the point is that a great deal of thought and work must go into the mastery of even the simplest sleights. I think that by and large most of us aquire moves, but never quite master them. We may do them quite passibly, but seldom with the refinement that can be achieved. It may have something to do with the fact that certain sleights are germain to certain effects. We work with the sleight in the context of that effect. Practice time becomes somewhat limited. Therefore, I think that selecting sleights for our arsenal is a tricky affair. The investment should really be worth the effort. Take for example the top palm. With an excellent top palm one can force cards, switch cards, change their appearances, secretly move them to another place. If you select a good technique and master it, the secret movements are indetectable. A mastered palm offers incredible value for the effort. Check the Leipzig book to see how he realized the side steal. He must have done it wonderfully, it was a cornerstone of his card work. So, what's my point in relation to the Curry Move? Whichever method you choose, be sure it offers versitility, a decent angle range, and the potential to be deceptive. Marlo's breakless method really meets these criteria. With some thought you can switch from the center of the deck, switch multiple cards for multiple cards, even switch multiples for a single. You'll get a lot of "bang for your buck." The technique isn't particularly difficult, you'll aquire it in no time. Mastering it? I don't know, I still haven't.

Rick, what's a French Glide? I know that Vernon did the French Shift out of Modern Magic (and I could certainly imagine him saying that it is difficult to do because it's a killer), but I'm not sure what a French Glide is ... ?